Rowan Williams is to step down after 10 years as Archbishop of Canterbury to take up a new post as Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.

Dr Williams, 61, will leave at the end of December in time to start his new role next January.

Lambeth Palace said the Queen, as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, has been informed.

Dr Williams departure means that the Church of England could see its first black Archbishop of Canterbury.

John Sentamu, 62, the Archbishop of York, is widely viewed as front-runner to replace Rowan Williams when he leaves at the end of this year.

Dubbed by some as "cleric of the people", he is known for his high-profile interventions.

Dr Williams, who was confirmed as 104th Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual leader of the 77 million-strong Anglican Communion in December 2002, told the Press Association that occupying the post had been an "enormous" privilege.

He described the Church of England as a "great treasure" which was still a place where many people sought inspiration and comfort in times of need.

"I would like the successor that God would like," he said.

"I think that it is a job of immense demands and I would hope that my successor has the constitution of an ox and the skin of a rhinoceros, really.

"But he will, I think, have to look with positive, hopeful eyes on a Church which, for all its problems, is still for so many people, a place to which they resort in times of need and crisis, a place to which they look for inspiration.

"I think the Church of England is a great treasure.

"I wish my successor well in the stewardship of it."

In a statement issued by Lambeth Palace, he added: "It has been an immense privilege to serve as Archbishop of Canterbury over the past decade, and moving on has not been an easy decision.

"During the time remaining there is much to do, and I ask your prayers and support in this period and beyond."

He added that he was grateful for all the support he and his wife Jane had received.

"I am abidingly grateful to all those friends and colleagues who have so generously supported Jane and myself in these years, and all the many diverse parishes and communities in the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion that have brought vision, hope and excitement to my own ministry," he said.

"I look forward, with that same support and inspiration, to continuing to serve the Church's mission and witness as best I can in the years ahead."

Dr Williams will continue to carry out all the duties and responsibilities of the Archbishop of Canterbury, both for the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, until the end of the year, Lambeth Palace said.

The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) will consider "in due course" the selection of a successor.

Dr Williams' return to academia will mark the end of more than 20 years as a bishop and archbishop. He was consecrated bishop of Monmouth in 1991 and elected archbishop of Wales in 1999.

His departure comes after tensions within the Anglican Communion over the issue of homosexuality.

The Church of England General Synod also looks likely to give final approval in July to legislation introducing women bishops, with the threat of further walkouts by traditionalists.

Dr Williams' predecessor, Lord Carey, held the post of archbishop of Canterbury for 11-and-a-half years and retired at 66 in 2002.

Explaining his reasons for leaving, Dr Williams said: "At the end of this year I will have been 10 years in post as Archbishop and just over 20 years as a bishop - that is part of it, feeling that after 10 years it is proper to pray and reflect and review your options."

He added that there were a number of "watersheds" this year, such as the forthcoming vote by the General Synod, the National Assembly of the Church of England, on whether to give final approval to legislation introducing women bishops.

"A number of what I call watersheds seemed to make this a reasonable moment, at least, to think about moving on," he said.

"When a possibility arrived that looked credible and attractive, it seemed right to think about it."

He added that the next Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops from around the world is in 2018.

Leaving at the end of the year would give his successor time to prepare.

He denied that there was a "great sense of free at last" in view of the long-running battles between liberals and traditionalists over the issue of gays within the Anglican Communion.

"Crisis management is never a favourite activity, I have to admit, but it is not as if that has overshadowed everything.

"It has certainly been a major nuisance.

"But in every job that you are in there are controversies and conflicts and this one isn't going to go away in a hurry.

"I can't say that it is a great sense of 'free at last'."

The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, said: "It is with great sadness that I received the news that the Archbishop of Canterbury will be stepping down at the end of this year.

"Our partnership in the gospel over the past six years has been the most creative period of my ministry. It has been life-giving to have led missions together, gone on retreats and prayed together.

"In his company I have drunk deeply from the wells of God's mercy and love and it has all been joyful. He is a real brother to me in Christ.

"The last decade has been a challenging time for the Church of England and the Anglican Communion.

"Thankfully, Archbishop Rowan is a remarkable and gifted leader who has strengthened the bonds of affection. Despite his courageous, tireless and holy endeavour, he has been much maligned by people who should have known better. For my part he has been God's apostle for our time.

"His stepping down to pursue something he dearly loves - teaching and writing - is received with gratitude, as this will continue to be a blessing to the Church."I am delighted that he is not going far away and will continue to offer service to the Church of England and the wider Church in its witness to our society. May God's blessing continue to be showered upon him.

"More will be said nearer his time of departure.

"For now, Archbishop Rowan, Jane and the family will remain in our prayers."

Dr Williams said: "It has been an enormous privilege being Archbishop of Canterbury, you are given access to the life of churches worldwide in a really unique way.

"It is not just travelling abroad of course, every year I make two or three visits to dioceses in England and just spend three or four days visiting parishes, schools and so forth.

"The privilege is that you are taken into the heart of the local church's life for a few days, you see what really matters to people in parishes, schools and prisons and hospices and so forth.

"I think there must be very few jobs where you have quite that degree of open doors for you."

He added that he "deeply" treasured his connection with the Diocese of Canterbury.

He said he did not believe that Christianity was losing the battle against secularisation in Britain.

"I think there is a great deal of interest still in the Christian faith," he said.

"Although I think there is also a lot of ignorance and rather dim-witted prejudice about the visible manifestations of Christianity, which sometimes clouds the discussion.

"I don't think that there is somehow a single great argument that the Church is losing."

He added: "What I think slightly shadows the whole thing is this sense that there are an awful lot of people now of a certain generation who don't really know how religion works, let alone Christianity in particular, and that leads to confusions, sensitivities in the wrong areas - 'does wearing a cross offend people who have no faith or non-Christians?' well I don't think it does.

"But people worry that it will.

"That is partly because there is a slight tone deafness about how religious belief works.

"Yes, there is a challenge and yes, the Church's public role is more contested than it used to be, and yes, we have to earn our right to speak more than perhaps was once the case but that is probably good for us."